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Show Positive Action Can Bring Industry By TOM BLSSELBERG BOUNTIFUL If Davis County wants industrial and commercial development, everyone must get enthusiastically enthusias-tically involved. THE COUNTY economic development board heard that admonition last week in a special spe-cial dinner meeting from Suzanne Phipps, economic development de-velopment director in Jefferson, Jeffer-son, County, Colo., part of the Denver metropolitan area. She said that two years ago, upon assuming the position, she had to contend with a county that was known to be on the "wrong side of the tracks," and unresponsive government and an unbalanced unba-lanced tax base. It was a bedroom bed-room county, much like some preceive Davis County, although that is changing. "WE HAD raw land and were closest to the mountains. We had a lot to offer," Ms. Phipps said, noting she inherited inher-ited a 9x12 foot office with virtually vir-tually no staff with a tradition of predecessors who were heavily involved in the CETA (Comprehensive Employment and Training Act) program and women's liberation. "Prior to me this office had been very government oriented. I'm not a government govern-ment person," she said, translating trans-lating that into the hypothetical hypothetic-al problem of a small businessman business-man who needs financial assistance to stay afloat. Rather than run to the Small Business Administration, she'll try to win his case with a local banker. "GOVERNMENT can be efficient but our office has been wasted for years," to the point there wasn't even a map of the county to show potential move-ins," she said. Previously, Pre-viously, inquiries were answered with a few statistics from the State House and that was about it, she told the group gathered at the Red Flame in Bountiful. "I felt the best way to represent repre-sent myself was as a catalyst a liaison. I work directly for the three commissions as the director of economic devleop-ment. devleop-ment. I am the county." Added to that is an organization organiza-tion that has grown from about 50 to more than 300 known as "Industries for Jefferson County." INCLUDED ARE bankers, attorneys and other commun ity representatives from business busi-ness and government. The 25-year-old group has been instrumental in-strumental in starting the airport air-port and spearheading sewer improvements. "They were just citizens but they made input in-put on government. "I went in on an $18,000 salary, sal-ary, worked 60-70 hours a week and had a product. I decided de-cided we'll market it as the best thing," Ms. Phipps said, asking the Davis County audience, audi-ence, "What is your image? What do you have to offer?" IT'S NOT just County Economic Eco-nomic Development Director Earl King and Carol his secretary. secret-ary. "My board helps so much. I have a president of a bank and a lawyer. I can take prospects to the commissioners commission-ers -we're working together." If a major industry showed that it could fit a residential area, that would be no problem since the planning department would work with all concerned, con-cerned, down to educating the public to what would happen what type of neighbor the new firm would be before it got to the emotional public hearing stage, she said. "IT'S AN attitude. You need to know you have the support of the commissioners, and the group (board) behind you, and try to work for what will benefit the entire community." com-munity." While elected officials may feel pressure from some voters on an issue, a vocal business and industrial community can help. "I think it's on a project by project basis," she said, adding, "Mr. King needs your support and enthusiasm. They'll (economic office) never nev-er be able to do it by themselves. them-selves. "THIS IS the only money-making money-making department in the county. It should be a generator gener-ator of taxes. All of us should keep that in mind. Make contacts con-tacts and take pride in the county. It is important for you to identify with the downtown1 area. You have to have a healthy heal-thy downtown Salt Lake City before it will grow here." But as a bedroom community, commun-ity, there's a built-in labor pool, Ms. Phipps emphasized, noting the same thing exists in Jefferson County, where many major firms have located of late. BUT RATHER than letting government do all the work, the private sector should take the initiative, the former advertising executive said. "Go and talk to the financial people get them to come in. You might live in the north end of the county but what happens hap-pens here affects you. It's not a lot of flashy brochures but guts and enthusiasm." Support services come with the new industry, such as improved im-proved shopping areas and once those are available nobody no-body fights new development, she said, emphasizing enthusiasm enthu-siasm and motivation is the key. EACH MEMBER of her board pays $75 a year, a newsletter news-letter is sent out and good speaker obtained for the monthly luncheon meetings. But it goes far beyond that , she said. By community people thinking positively and acting that way, results are possible, such as a formerly unmotivated unmoti-vated local landowner who was able to sell his property and now is a multimillionaire-land multimillionaire-land that two years ago nobody would've looked at. Stressing a "flashy brochure" won't do the selling job, she said "guys with money" such as area realtors, were contacted. "Let the real tors do the work. I spend most of my time with businesses and show what's best. Planning is critical to it. You have to sell it." JEFFERSON County has been made highly visible to the Metro Denver area with cooperation from the press and other media, down to board members spreading the word to fellow passengers on airplane air-plane trips, for instance. A focus has to be found where the county can best serve business needs, she said. "I am trying to get a log of energy companies to come into our area with big accounting divisions, etc. with a lower cost per square foot (than downtown). I'm trying to move some of them (offices) out of the downtown so they can expand." ADVERTISING campaigns were started lauding the area's major industries and that gave more visibility and satisfied the companies highlighted. A party was staged where key people from the metropolitan area were invited and given a welcome. |